105. Time to go home
400mm x 300mm
Interactive Acrylic on Deep Edged Canvas
SOLD
Exhibited at the members' exhibition, Eagle Gallery, Mon 16th April- Thu 10th May 2018
Exhibited at "The Butterfly and St. Paul's", Eagle Gallery, Sat 11th - Sat 18th May 2019
Exhibited at "Member's and Outreach", Eagle Gallery, Sat 18th August - Saturday 9th September 2023 (Sold Tuesday 29th September)
This piece shows the pitfalls of using photographs for the starting off point for a painting. I first saw this image as either a digital camera view-screen image or as a thumbnail on a computer screen. Either way, I would have been struck by the dramatic silhouette of the Bedford skyline at such a small scale. This would have stood out from any other images present. Not that its necessarily a failing to go for something dramatic, but it supersedes more personal reasons for choosing a subject.
Glancing at my wife’s photo I’d assumed it was of a church hidden in some corner of Bedford. On closer inspection, it turned out to be right plum in the centre. It’s at this point the subject started to take on its own life; busy traffic failing to appreciate the beautiful sky.
To recreate this as a painting proved difficult. The overly dark foreground gives the game away as to the photographic origins. Of course, the camera is focusing on the sky at the expense of detail in the foreground – but this was the aspect of the image that had attracted me in the first place.
My process was to draw in the silhouette line, paint the lower part of the canvas carbon black, use masking tape and then have a ball splashing in the sky. Next, it’s decision time – how light do I go with the foreground. I reprinted the photo-origination with the brightness turned right up and I also had other “daytime” photo reference from a subsequent visit which helped me understand textures and real colours of things. I didn’t want to come too far out of the black, as I still loved the silhouette. The photo of the painting on the web site doesn’t quite show the true darkness of the piece, and a reaction to the picture might well be “Why haven’t the vehicles got their lights on?”. We will have to await reaction to this, but the underlying fear is people will say – “he’s copied a photo”.
I think this whole exercise has made me question where my ideas come from; and although I should try and up the number of pieces I do from a “live” sitting; I am still certain photography still has a massive part to play
Interactive Acrylic on Deep Edged Canvas
SOLD
Exhibited at the members' exhibition, Eagle Gallery, Mon 16th April- Thu 10th May 2018
Exhibited at "The Butterfly and St. Paul's", Eagle Gallery, Sat 11th - Sat 18th May 2019
Exhibited at "Member's and Outreach", Eagle Gallery, Sat 18th August - Saturday 9th September 2023 (Sold Tuesday 29th September)
This piece shows the pitfalls of using photographs for the starting off point for a painting. I first saw this image as either a digital camera view-screen image or as a thumbnail on a computer screen. Either way, I would have been struck by the dramatic silhouette of the Bedford skyline at such a small scale. This would have stood out from any other images present. Not that its necessarily a failing to go for something dramatic, but it supersedes more personal reasons for choosing a subject.
Glancing at my wife’s photo I’d assumed it was of a church hidden in some corner of Bedford. On closer inspection, it turned out to be right plum in the centre. It’s at this point the subject started to take on its own life; busy traffic failing to appreciate the beautiful sky.
To recreate this as a painting proved difficult. The overly dark foreground gives the game away as to the photographic origins. Of course, the camera is focusing on the sky at the expense of detail in the foreground – but this was the aspect of the image that had attracted me in the first place.
My process was to draw in the silhouette line, paint the lower part of the canvas carbon black, use masking tape and then have a ball splashing in the sky. Next, it’s decision time – how light do I go with the foreground. I reprinted the photo-origination with the brightness turned right up and I also had other “daytime” photo reference from a subsequent visit which helped me understand textures and real colours of things. I didn’t want to come too far out of the black, as I still loved the silhouette. The photo of the painting on the web site doesn’t quite show the true darkness of the piece, and a reaction to the picture might well be “Why haven’t the vehicles got their lights on?”. We will have to await reaction to this, but the underlying fear is people will say – “he’s copied a photo”.
I think this whole exercise has made me question where my ideas come from; and although I should try and up the number of pieces I do from a “live” sitting; I am still certain photography still has a massive part to play